New Jerseyans who receive food assistance through the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (NJ SNAP) will receive at least a 15 percent increase in benefits in January to help address food needs related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
A 15 percent increase in SNAP benefits was included in the recently signed federal relief legislation and will be in effect through June.
Human Services has also been providing SNAP households with the maximum benefits since March when the pandemic began, and those supplements will be provided in January to about 269,000 households. The 15 percent increase is independent of the monthly SNAP supplements and will be given to every SNAP household, so all NJ SNAP recipients will get at least a 15 percent increase, depending on household size and income.
When January’s benefits are paid, Human Services will have distributed $443.4 million in total supplemental monthly SNAP payments since March to New Jersey residents.
The monthly supplemental payments are contingent upon month-to-month United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approval. The USDA can approve supplemental SNAP payments for states as long as the federal government has declared a public health emergency and the state has issued an emergency declaration.
“Providing as much food assistance as possible to eligible New Jersey households as this challenging public health and economic crisis continues remains a priority,” Human Services Deputy Commissioner Elisa Neira said. “I once again thank our Congressional delegation for working hard to protect residents. These additional food assistance benefits are as important as ever and make a real difference to many New Jerseyans.”
The increased benefits will be directly loaded to NJ SNAP recipients’ Families First EBT cards as part of their regular monthly payment.
NJ SNAP provides food assistance to families with low incomes to help them buy groceries through a benefit card accepted in most food retail stores and farmer’s markets. Families can also use their cards online through Amazon and participating locations of Aldi, ShopRite, The Fresh Grocer and Walmart.
NJ SNAP serves about 791,000 New Jerseyans in about 406,000 households, with the monthly SNAP benefit based on household size and income. Residents can visit njhelps.org to see if they’re eligible for SNAP and apply.
And what about all of us who could so badly use the help but because both parents work we don’t qualify for this? We’re “richer” but then after paying for our insurance and all others were poorer than all the “low class” who get every single benefit with all these extra bonuses …. why not open the income guidelines and help more ppl vs just giving the same ppl more and more???
I agree.
I agree with @annon.
I’m in same boat.
Hashem should bless you b
As a small business owner I am grateful not to be on any programs. That being said, we work so so hard just to pay for our basic necessities such as food, tuition, medical expenses, utilities the list goes on and on. Instead of giving the “lower class” a reason to not work and watch movies all day how about find them jobs? How about making it easier for the hard working small business owners hire workers?
This is just another power grab from the liberal elites. Very sad!!
“Let the poors starve.” -Us ‘middle class’ have it the hardest (lol right)
That’s right!
Just as we were starting to “make it” financially the proverbial carpet of government assistance got pulled out from under our feet!
No slow weaning. No guidance or understanding.
We are worse off then before!
Being self employed we pay 15% in taxes too!
What was the “point” in becoming self sufficient?!
People warned us not to keep our income down as to not become dependent of the government.
But you need to be rich in order to breathe!
It’s a brocha that we have a giving government but they also enable!